ASUS Unveils Exclusive PBO Enhancement for AMD X670, B650 Motherboards

[TheLostSwede]

ASUS today announced the new Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) enhancement, an exclusive temperature control feature for its range of X670 and B650 motherboards designed for AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors.

These latest CPUs push the limits of performance farther than ever before. They dynamically take advantage of available thermal headroom to give users higher clock speeds. This means that users might see higher CPU temperatures than they are used to in a new AMD Ryzen-powered machine. To put users in control, ASUS is rolling out a BIOS update for its X670 and B650 motherboards with new options for its PBO enhancement feature that makes it easy to balance thermals and performance. With just a few clicks, users will be able to dramatically reduce CPU temperatures—and maybe even increase performance and reduce fan noise in the process.




To be clear: AMD assures its customers that its latest chips can operate safely at their stock temperatures. Modern processors have self-imposed limits that prevent them from reaching temperatures that are actually harmful. Moreover, users are not actually likely to see the maximum 95°C temperatures until they initiate a workload that engages all the CPU cores. During everyday operation, from light workloads to most gaming sessions, users will typically see much lower CPU temperatures.

Start with an easy BIOS update
The first step is to update the motherboard with the latest firmware. ASUS is introducing the new feature to its full X670 and B650 motherboard families through BIOS updates. For reference, below are the products list, along with links to related product support pages and the respective BIOS version numbers under which ASUS is adding this feature.

Activating the PBO enhancement in the BIOS
If users need help with the following process, view the official ASUS Support video or follow the step-by-step instructions. The basic steps for enabling the PBO enhancement are as follows:

Download the BIOS update containing the PBO enhancement feature from the ASUS support page, then extract the contents of the ZIP archive. Double-click on the BIOS Renamer tool that was extracted along with the firmware file, which will automatically convert this update to the proper format with the CAP file extension. Then copy or move the renamed file with the CAP extension into the root directory of a USB drive.

To begin the update process, shut off the PC, but leave it connected to power. Then plug the USB drive into the port on the rear I/O panel of the motherboard labeled 'BIOS'. Hold the nearby BIOS Flashback button down for three seconds, or until the Flashback LED has blinked three times. This will indicate that the update has started. The light will then blink slowly for the next several minutes. When this blinking stops, the update process has completed. At this point, remove the flash drive, turn the PC back on, and the update process will automatically take users to the motherboard's UEFI BIOS interface, where users will have the option to enable the PBO enhancement.

Once users have entered into the UEFI BIOS interface, activate Advanced mode. Then navigate to the Extreme Tweaker tab and select Precision Boost Overdrive.

In the menu that opens, select Enhancement from the Precision Boost Overdrive dropdown. Then select one of the three preset thermal limits. Level 1 will set the maximum target temperature to 90°C, a modest step down from the default 95°C. Levels 2 and 3 lower the maximum CPU temperatures more aggressively, down to 80°C and 70°C, respectively.

Once the desired level has been chosen, users can save this setting and exit the BIOS.

Expected performance with PBO Enhancement
Several factors will affect how CPU performance may change after activating the PBO enhancement. The model of CPU and motherboard will have the most influence, followed by the cooling solution. The level setting of the PBO enhancement will also have a significant effect, as well as factors like ambient temperatures and the characteristics of other components in the machine.

For an idea of what kind of performance changes to expect with the PBO enhancement, ASUS conducted its own tests using four different AMD Ryzen CPUs. Each chip was tested using a 280 mm AIO liquid cooler. For comparison, ASUS also tested each chip using the default PBO settings.

Starting at the top with the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and the Ryzen 9 7900X: At default settings, this system earned a score of 37,811 in Cinebench R23's multi-core test. Activating PBO enhancement Level 1 reduced temperatures by 5°C while actually increasing performance—because with this PBO enhancement setting, users are not only setting a temperature limit, they are activating voltage and PBO optimizations. Setting PBO enhancement to Level 3 reduced performance by only 3.5% while dropping maximum temperatures by 25°C. That is a tradeoff that many enthusiasts would happily make.

The benefits of the PBO enhancement are even more pronounced with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X. Setting PBO enhancement to Level 3—the most aggressive option—drops observed CPU temperatures by a full 20°C without changing performance in this test by more than 0.003%. Users of this chip can reasonably expect that PBO enhancement Level 3 will significantly lower CPU temperatures without noticeably affecting system performance.

A great balance of thermals and performance
The latest AMD Ryzen 7000-series CPUs do not leave performance on the table. They take full advantage of available thermal headroom to give users the highest clocks available, moment by moment. Users might decide that they are not concerned by the higher CPU temperatures that result—or they might decide that they would prefer a different balance of thermals and performance. The ASUS X670 and B650 motherboard families give users the power to make that choice for themselves. Through PBO enhancement, they can easily toggle between different temperature targets. In the process, they might very well end up with higher performance and quieter fans in addition to lower temperatures, compared to default settings.

ASUS is also excited to roll out this feature to its B650 motherboards in particular. As internal testing shows, the PBO enhancement can be used to increase CPU performance in addition to limiting temperatures. Owners of ASUS X670E motherboards with AI Overclocking already had a way to extract more processing power from their CPU with just a few clicks. PBO enhancement allows ASUS to offer easy performance optimizations to a much larger audience.

If users are still looking for the perfect X670 or B650 motherboard for their next AMD Ryzen build, ASUS offers a wide range of options from its ROG, ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, ProArt, and Prime motherboard families. Head over to the ASUS X670 motherboard guide for the highest-end options, or take a look at the more mainstream models in the B650 motherboard guide.



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[Trompochi]

This sounds interesting, can't wait for actual reviews.

 

[Nanochip]

In other words, our products aren’t selling, people have expressed concerns with the 95C, so we are making adjustments to slightly reduce performance for better temps. Got it.

 

[Chomiq]

So basically PBO profiles. Meh.

 

[Airisom]

Exclusive PBO Enhancement at an exclusive price I bet. AMD pulled the "95C is okay" with Hawaii and it didn't go well back then either. AIBs fixed it back then with aftermarket coolers, and motherboard makers are fixing it now with undervolting features and PBO profiles.

 

[thewan]

if score seems low note that im a very lazy person. also running an air cooler. So i just enable expo, and enable 80C target profile. so don't ask me to "tweak" stuff.
that said, between the stock score and the 80C score ill take that hit. Power package also dropped from ~130W to ~110w.

 

[sephiroth117]

What about stability ?

I mean if I use the curve optimizer with a negative 15 on all cores I can already have some silicon failing.

I like the option but I'd rather do the PBO myself because that way I can test each step safely. Of course limiting voltage and PPT is safe but other parameters can trigger BSODs and crashes.

i'd probably set the thermal limit to 80°C. Curve optimizer negative 10 on all cores has always been stable for me, and for the PPT slightly lower the max power limit, saw some tests and the performance were either better or very slightly lower.

 

[Upgrayedd]

I thought 95C was the new 65C?
Thought 95C was cool with yall

 

[Nanochip]

I don’t know why AMD did this. Why push it so far out the box, outside of the efficiency curve? They should’ve set the target to 80C max, advertise ECO mode, and then say if you want to push it to 95C you can. It is safe. It will not void warranty. Same chip. Different spin. You’d think AMD would know their audience. Their audience is not intel’s audience.

 

[Deleted member 185088]

No idea why people are suddenly shocked with 95°, GPUs and Intel's CPUs, mobile CPUs have been running high for some time now no issues.
I welcomed change, I always felt Zen3 was artificially limited by power and temperature.
The only mistake was AMD's communication and the ignorance of some reviewers. Of course in addition to the stupid pricing.

 

[EatingDirt]

I don’t know why AMD did this. Why push it so far out the box, outside of the efficiency curve? They should’ve set the target to 80C max, advertise ECO mode, and then say if you want to push it to 95C you can. It is safe. It will not void warranty. Same chip. Different spin. You’d think AMD would know their audience. Their audience is not intel’s audience.

If you read any reviews on thermal tests, AMD didn't 'push it too far'. They are comfortable with the 95c target, so they set a 95c target.

Desktop chips, like it or not, will be pushed to their near-maximum operating windows. We see that with GPU's and CPU's. Gone are the days of free performance from simple overclocking. So, if you want a lower power/temperature target, use ECO mode.

 

[cvaldes]

I don’t know why AMD did this. Why push it so far out the box, outside of the efficiency curve? They should’ve set the target to 80C max, advertise ECO mode, and then say if you want to push it to 95C you can. It is safe. It will not void warranty. Same chip. Different spin. You’d think AMD would know their audience. Their audience is not intel’s audience.

Probably for reviews and spec sheet claims. They can claim xxxx score/yyyy clock frequency based on the default settings for a retail boxed product.

Much of AMD and Intel's CPU audience overlaps not just in DIY gaming builds.

 

[rv8000]

In other words, our products aren’t selling, people have expressed concerns with the 95C, so we are making adjustments to slightly reduce performance for better temps. Got it.

Honestly, if anything I think it has more to do with the 7600X and 7700X being priced out of their performance category. The 13600K/13700k are probably going to slaughter them in MT performance for lower/similar prices.

The AM5 platform cost is definitely high, but the 7600X and 7700X are just priced so incredibly wrong.

 

[mechtech]

Wow check out all the dip switches and push buttons at the bottom of that cross-hair board. No read out numbers on the proart, a board like that should have those.

 

[Hofnaerrchen]

In other words, our products aren’t selling, people have expressed concerns with the 95C, so we are making adjustments to slightly reduce performance for better temps. Got it.

Won't solve the problem: Products are not selling, because those products are quite expensive and people have other things to worry about than the temperature/performance of their CPU - which might be an solution how to heat your house/flat if energy prices weren't also an issue.^^

AMD and it's partners major problem in selling AM5 products: System prices are far to high.

 

[AusWolf]

View attachment 265459
if score seems low note that im a very lazy person. also running an air cooler. So i just enable expo, and enable 80C target profile. so don't ask me to "tweak" stuff.
that said, between the stock score and the 80C score ill take that hit. Power package also dropped from ~130W to ~110w.

Wow! This makes me want to upgrade even more.

 

[Max(IT)]

Basically Asus is doing what AMD should have done since the beginning …

If you read any reviews on thermal tests, AMD didn't 'push it too far'. They are comfortable with the 95c target, so they set a 95c target.

Desktop chips, like it or not, will be pushed to their near-maximum operating windows. We see that with GPU's and CPU's. Gone are the days of free performance from simple overclocking. So, if you want a lower power/temperature target, use ECO mode.

Yes AMD is comfortable with the 95° and if your CPU degrades after the warranty period, they will be even more comfortable selling you a new one…
No one with a minimum of knowledge want a CPU running at 95°, especially when you could stay within 3.5% of performance with 25° less…

 

[chrcoluk]

Has PBO ever been worth it?

If you read any reviews on thermal tests, AMD didn't 'push it too far'. They are comfortable with the 95c target, so they set a 95c target.

Desktop chips, like it or not, will be pushed to their near-maximum operating windows. We see that with GPU's and CPU's. Gone are the days of free performance from simple overclocking. So, if you want a lower power/temperature target, use ECO mode.

I do this on my AMD rig, it has XFR disabled, super low voltage, low temps, still most of the performance.

 

[Guwapo77]

No idea why people are suddenly shocked with 95°, GPUs and Intel's CPUs, mobile CPUs have been running high for some time now no issues.
I welcomed change, I always felt Zen3 was artificially limited by power and temperature.
The only mistake was AMD's communication and the ignorance of some reviewers. Of course in addition to the stupid pricing.

I've been sitting here reading the posts and I'm like, what in the hell is all the fuss over? This isn't new territory, we have been here for years. I kind of get for those living in Europe, but anywhere else... all for 20-30w... gtfoh.

 

[OneMoar]

god why do we care about thermals?
WHY
the cpu can run at 100c indefinitely and suffer no ill effects
why do we give a single flying fawk what the cpu core temperature is ?

you do not know better then the fucking engineers that designed the thing just fucking stop it
arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgg

 

[Mussels]

So, pre-set PBO profiles aka ECO mode?

Honestly AMD needed this at launch, sure have an unlocked full power mode, but it should have had performance/balanced/eco from the very start

I just sold my 2700x, and it was running hot and loud on the stock wraith prism as they're known to do - until i set a 90W PBO limit and now it's at 60C load in R23, with full game performance.


It just takes so little to change public perception, by having a simple toggle like eco mode.

 

[Max(IT)]

the cpu can run at 100c indefinitely and suffer no ill effects

that's simply not true

And, again, the "fucking engineers" just cares about the warranty period. Everything happening after that timeframe is not their business.
I'm expecting a CPU to last AT LEAST 2X that timeframe.

So, pre-set PBO profiles aka ECO mode?

Honestly AMD needed this at launch, sure have an unlocked full power mode, but it should have had performance/balanced/eco from the very start

I just sold my 2700x, and it was running hot and loud on the stock wraith prism as they're known to do - until i set a 90W PBO limit and now it's at 60C load in R23, with full game performance.


It just takes so little to change public perception, by having a simple toggle like eco mode.

exactly this.

And you know why they didn't ? Just because some reviewers would have tested them at stock, with graph bars 3/4% lower and the marketing department couldn't agree.
Nowadays everything is marketing driven. Not engineering. Marketing.

Fortunately this doesn't apply for tech savvy people in forums like this: it is quite easy for us to set ECO Mode (or even better to choose a better combination of power limits that fits our cooling solution).

 

[AusWolf]

that's simply not true

And, again, the "fucking engineers" just cares about the warranty period. Everything happening past that timeframe is not their business.
I'm expecting a CPU to last AT LEAST 2X that timeframe.

I've read people say this in different threads for a million times now, but do you have any proof that it won't last?

Fortunately this doesn't apply for tech savvy people in forums like this: it is quite easy for us to set ECO Mode (or even better to choose a better combination of power limits that fits our cooling solution).

Exactly.

 

[OneMoar]

that's simply not true

And, again, the "fucking engineers" just cares about the warranty period. Everything happening after that timeframe is not their business.
I'm expecting a CPU to last AT LEAST 2X that timeframe.


exactly this.

And you know why they didn't ? Just because some reviewers would have tested them at stock, with graph bars 3/4% lower and the marketing department couldn't agree.
Nowadays everything is marketing driven. Not engineering. Marketing.

Fortunately this doesn't apply for tech savvy people in forums like this: it is quite easy for us to set ECO Mode (or even better to choose a better combination of power limits that fits our cooling solution).

laptop cpus have been basically living at 100c for the last decade
smaller process = higher temps = higher thermal tolerance
95c is the platform thermal target,after which it stops boosting the shutdown temp is 110 or 115c
tjmax is the maximum sustainable safe temperature for 24/7 operation

anything under a 100c is perfectly fine for ANY silicon made in the last decade this isn't 2005 when cpus would smoke at 65c

I am so tired of repeating myself
Mmmkay
clear enough?

 

[DemonicRyzen666]

hush
laptop cpus have been basically living at 100c for the last decade
smaller process = higher temps = higher thermal tolerance
95c is the platform thermal target,after which it stops boosting the shutdown temp is 110 or 115c
tjmax is the maximum sustainable safe temperature for 24/7 operation

anything under a 100c is perfectly fine for ANY silicon made in the last decade this isn't 2005 when cpus would smoke at 65c

I am so tired of repeating myself
you people are dumb little users you do not know better than the silicon engineers
Mmmkay
clear enough?

That was because of SOI (silicon on isulator) vs Bulk silicon